This invention relates to an electrically powered appliance for the treatment of hair, in particular a hair dryer, having a fan motor for generating a current of air and a heater unit for heating the air current and a housing with an air inlet port and an air outlet port as well as a connector element, for example, a plug-and-socket element for connecting, in particular electrically, the hair dryer to an implement for hair treatment. This implement is equipped, in particular for the styling and/or drying of hair, with an electrical load, for example, an electric motor, and is attachable to the air outlet port of the hair dryer. The connector element includes terminal devices for electrical connection to at least one voltage-carrying component in the hair dryer.
An appliance of this type is known from JP 7-51117. This specification describes a curling iron with a handle member and an accessory. Accommodated in the handle member are a fan and a heater unit. The accessory, for example, a round brush, contains further electrical components and is connectible with the air outlet end of the handle member by means of electrical connectors.
From DE-U-9305195.6 an electrically powered hair dryer is known which has a socket which is adapted to be connected with a plug of an implement operable by an electric motor.
In the manufacture of hair dryers and implements attachable thereto, particularly in the manufacture of large quantities and different types of hair dryer and implement, it has proven to be disadvantageous that, in order to combine a particular type of hair dryer with a particular type of implement, it is usually necessary that a connector element be constructed individually.
Considering that different types of additional implement are generally operated at different electric voltages, a relatively high engineering effort is involved in providing the respective operating voltage required by the particular implement on the hair dryer. Hence, for example, provision is made in the hair dryer to accommodate a wide variety of electrical components, in particular connectors, which are fitted to suit the particular hair-dryer-and-implement combination individually and in consequence have to be made available in the corresponding wide variety and also have to be assembled individually.